The NIAAA National Hospital Prevalence Study is a national survey designed to estimate the prevalence of alcohol use, abuse and dependence among adult admissions receiving inpatient care in short-term general hospitals in the contiguous United States. In addition to the overall alcohol prevalence objective, NIAAA is interested in (a) evaluating population subgroups based on such variables as gender and age, (b) investigating the validity of measures used to diagnose alcoholism in short-term hospital settings, (c) exploring various utilization measures related to alcohol, and (d) determining the prevalence of drug abuse associated with alcohol abuse and dependence.